Apparatus for lifting and transferring invalid persons



June 21, 1955 A. B. STOEN ET AL 2,710,975

I APPARATUS FOR LIFTING AND TRANSFERRING INVALID PERSONS Filed Oct. 31,1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig 2 3 Arno/0' B. Sloan Marf/n B. .Sfoen 23INVENTORJ BY Wm A Mann June 1955 A. B. STOEN ET AL APPARATUS FOR LIFTINGAND TRANSFERRING INVALID PERSONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Arnold B. .SfaenMartin B. .Sfoen INVENTORS Filed Oct. 31, 1952 United States PatentAPPARATUS FOR LIFTIN G AND TRANSFERRIN G INVALID PERSONS Arnold B.Stoen, Glenwood, and Martin B. Stoen,

Starbuck, Minn.

Application October 31, 1952, Serial No. 318,062

1 Claim. (Cl. -84) Our invention relates to improvements in apparatus ofthe crane type for lifting invalid persons from a bed and transferringthe same to a position at one side of the bed for lowering into a chairor onto another bed.

The primary object of our invention is to provide an apparatus of thetype indicated operative to lift an invalid person into sitting positionon the bed from a supine position, then off the bed and to swing thelifted person to one side of the bed for lowering at will onto anotherbed, or a chair, all while the person is securely held, with comfort, insetting position.

Another object is to provide apparatus for the above purpose which isoperative with a minimum of effort by the operator to lift and transfera heavy person.

Another object is to provide in such apparatus means for attaching thesame to a bed in a manner such that the bed will not be overbalanced bythe weight of the person swung to one side of the bed.

Another object is to provide in such apparatus harness for holding thepatient in sitting position while being lifted off the bed and swung toone side of the bed, and which is comfortable, easy to apply, and safe.

Still another object is to provide apparatus for the purposes set forthin the foregoing which is simple in construction, comparativelyinexpensive to manufacture, and not liable to get out of order.

Other and subordinate objects, within the purview of our invention,together with the precise nature of our improvements, and the advantagesthereof will be readily understood when the succeeding description andclaims are read with reference to the drawings, accompanying and formingpart of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure l is a view in plan of our improved apparatus, in the preferredembodiment thereof, applied to a bed;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation illustrating the manner in whichthe harness is applied to an invalid person, shown in dotted lines,preparatory to lifting the person into sitting position on the bed;

Figure 3 is a view in front elevation;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view in perspective illustrating the manner inwhich the harness when used for lifting and transferring the person insitting position is attached to the block and tackle;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view in vertical section taken onthe line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view in vertical section taken onthe line 6-6 of Figure 3;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view in horizontal section taken onthe line 77 of Figure 3;

Figure 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the bracket for attachingthe post to the side rail of the bed; and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view, partly broken awayand shown in section, of the floor socket for the post and the attachingarms for the socket.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the apparatus of our inventioncomprises, as one component thereof, a jib-type crane 1, as anothercomponent, means presently "ice described for attaching the crane to thebed at one side thereof, and as a third component, a harness 2.

The crane 1 includes a tubular post 3, for lightness and strength, andwhich is of any suitable height and provided at its upper end with atubular jib arm 4. The post 3 is attached to the conventional bed 7 bythe attaching means presently described, for rotating the jib arm 4 toswing selectively over or away from the bed 7. A handle 5 is pivoted tosaid post 3, as at 6, on the side thereof opposite the jib arm 4 forrotating the post 3 to swing the jib arm 4.

A crank operated cable wind up reel 8 is mounted on the post 3 and on abracket arm 9 on said post, at the side of said post 3 opposite the jibarm 4, but with the operating crank 10 on said reel, preferably at thesame side of the post 3 as said jib arm 4. A ratchet wheel 8' on one endof the reel 8 is dogged by a ratchet 11 pivoted, as at 12, on the post 3to hold said reel 8 against reverse rotation.

A double block and tackle 13 is carried by the jib arm 4 and comprises apulley 14 on the upper end of the post 3, which is to say the rear endof the jib arm 4, twin sheaves 15 journaled between depending flanges 16on the other end of the jib arm 4, and a double sheave fall block 17suspended from the sheaves 15 by a tackle cable 18 in the usual manner,the cable 18 to be extended through said jib arm 4, which is hollow, andthen over the pulley 14 and from the pulley 14 downwardly to the reel 8.

The attaching means for the crane 1 comprises a floor socket 20 forseating the lower end of the post 3 therein, rotatively, and which isattached to all four legs 21 of the bed 7 by rod-like arms 22 attachedto the sides of the socket 20 with tubular tie members 23 slidably anddetachably fitted at one end thereon and locked thereto by set screws24, said tie members 23 being provided at the other ends thereof withplate clamps 25 attached to the legs 21. The arms 22 and tie members 23extend from the socket 20 at angles such that each is aligned with thesocket 20 and with each leg 21 while the socket 20 is disposed at oneside of the bed 7. The arms 22 and tie members 23 incline upwardly fromthe socket 20 to position the clamps 25 near the points of connection ofthe legs with the side rails of the bed 7.

A floor plate 27 on the bottom of the socket 20 extending therefrom andfrom the side of the post 3 opposite the bed 7, together with the tiemembers 23 prevents tilting of the bed 7 by weight on the jib arm 4 whensaid arm is swung away from the bed 7. At this point, it is explainedthat the jib arm 4 is of sufiicient length, so that when it is swungover the bed, it suspends the cable 18 over the longitudinal center ofthe bed and substantially midway of the ends of the bed, which is tosay, the front and rear of the bed.

In addition to the described attaching means for the crane 1, a bearingbracket 30 is provided for rotatably attaching the post 3 to the bedcomprising a sleeve 31 through which said post 3 is rotatably extendedand which is provided on one side thereof with a cross bar 32 carryingterminal clamps 33 by meanslof which the bearing bracket 30 is attachedto the side rail 35 at the selected side of the bed 7 with the sleeve 31axially aligned with the socket 20.

The harness 2 comprises a sling including a supporting band 40, ofcanvas, or the like, and of a width and length suificient to fit underthe thighs of the person to be lifted, rigid cross members 41 at theends of the band 40 retained in end hems 42 on said band, triangular,rigid handle bails 43 on said end members 42, and a shackle 44 adaptedto straddle the thighs of a person and comprising a pair of cables 45attached at one end to a ring 3 46 and having hooks 47 on the other endsfor engaging said bails 43.

Also included in the harness 2 is a chest band 48 and shoulder straps 49both formed of canvas, or the like. The chest band 48 is suitablyprovided with terminal rings 50 for engaging the usual hook 51 on thefall block 17 to fasten said terminals together in front of the person.The shoulder straps 49 are sewed, as at 52, at corresponding endsthereof to the back of the chest band 48, the other ends of said strapsbeing provided with hooks 53 for fastening said ends to eyes 54 on thechest band 48 adjacent the rings 50, so that said ends of the shoulderstraps 49 are attachable to said band 48 in front of the chest of theperson.

In operating the described apparatus, the post 3 is rotated by means ofthe handle 5 to swing the jib arm 4 over the bed 7 crosswise thereof.The supporting, or thigh, band 40 is positioned under the thighs of theperson, the chest band 48 positioned under the back of the person, thatis, under the chest, and the shoulder straps 49 are positioned over theshoulders and attached to the chest band 48, as described, all while theperson is lying supine on the bed. The terminals of the chest band 48are then attached by the rings 50 to the hook 51 so that the chest band48 and shoulder straps 49 are secured to the person and to the block andtackle 13. The reel 8 is then operated to wind up the cable 18 and liftthe person into sitting position on the bed, by imparting lift to thechest band 48. The shackle 44 is now attached to the supporting band 40by attaching the hooks 47 to the handle bails 43, and said shackle isalso attached to the fall block 17 by attaching the ring 50 to the hook511, all while the person is in sitting position. Thus the harness 2 iscoupled to the fall block 17, which is to say, the block and tackle 13and this is done while the cable 18 is held taut. Now, by furtheroperation of the reel 8 to wind up the cable 18, the person may belifted, while supported in comfort in sitting position, off and clear ofthe bed 7, and the post 3 may then be rotated by the handle 5 to swingthe jib arm 4 away from the bed 7 and thereby transfer the person to oneside of the bed for lowering into a chair or on to another bed, or forany other purpose. As will be seen, the crane 1 is removable out of thesleeve 31 and socket 20 when not in use. The described means forattaching the post 3, or crane 1, may be detached from the bed, when notin use, in a manner which will be obvious.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clearunderstanding of my invention, without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modificationwithout departing from the inventive concept, and right is hereinreserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appendedclaim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

For use with an invalids bed having side rails and corner legs atopposite ends thereof, a jib type crane post adapted to support alifting harness for an invalid occupying the bed, a floor socketrotatably seating the lower end of the post outwardly of an intermediateportion of one of the side rails, a bearing attachable to said one siderail and in which said post is journaled above said socket, armsattached to and radiating from said socket and inclining upwardly towardsaid legs, tubular members slidably adjustable on said arms andinclining upwardly and toward said legs for fastening to the legsadjacent said rails, terminal clamping plates on said members attachableto said legs adjacent said rails, and means for fastening the members tosaid arms in adjusted position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS269,570 Goodwin Dec. 26, 1882 320,286 Remsberg June 16, 1885 796,791Anderson Aug. 8, 1905 817,703 Garaghty Apr. 10, 1906 841,702 Martin Jan.22, 1907 1,797,847 Vandergrifi? Mar. 24, 1931 1,876,832 Bancroft Sept.13, 1932 1,971,294 Bunker Aug. 21, 1934 2,565,536 Valentine Aug. 28,1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 111,441 Great Britain June 29, 1917

